mom2mybugs

Ok...i need a scorecard lol.  Just when I thought I knew where the ships were.....

Ok...i need a scorecard lol.  Just when I thought I knew where the ships were.....

I'm loving this blog.   I sail in March on the 6 day freedom cruise!   I can't wait to get back on this ship I sailed in March 2016!  My husband hasn't been on  freedom so i can't wait to have him read this and see how much fun we are going to have!   Jane

Man, these photos are making me so eager to go on my own cruise on Freedom in just over 5 months (140 days)!
And nice to see the pub has Blue Moon and Guinness, even if only in bottles/cans. I'll be able to "get by" with those, plus whatever Vintages has in reds. 
Thanks so much for this live blog! Can't wait to see the rest of the trip!

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread about a BBC - bailey's, banana liquor and colada mix.  Do they have banana liquor on the ships?  Swap out the Bailey's for rum and you pretty much have a banana daiquiri.  I would prefer a real banana in place of the banana liquor but I would take it in place of nothing.  I mean, I am not a huge bloody mary fan, so what else am I supposed to drink with breakfast?

I haven't been here yet (I'll be visiting in about 30 days) but this place https://www.facebook.com/Antillia-Brewing-Company-411999235629088/ has highly rated brews.   Naked Fisherman St. Lucia India Pale Ale and Aphrodisiac Ale (a stout) are supposed to be great.  I'll imbibe and report back. :)

It's more of a "build your own" kind of approach to Mexican.  More casual and endless options in terms of sauces, fillings, form-factors, etc.  I like Sabor, don't get me wrong - but I liked it a lot more when I could go and get just a snack or light meal.  Bleu Iguana is set up in a way you could easily make a meal out of it - or just go for a quick snack.  You can see more of it in the below article where I went over Vista dining:
http://www.cruisehabit.com/our-visit-carnival-vista-part-i-dining-carnival-vista

Ok...i really have to get out to California again.   We honeymoons in San Fran but were not beer drinkers them and I'm pretty sure they didn't have this ice cream!   Jane

I actually work just north of San Clemente. 

Well, both, actually, but mostly your and JL's hatred of IPAs!   You should try some of the New England styles, which aren't quite as bitter and off-putting.
RC's beer list is pretty much awful to a craft fan.
 
Someday I hope to make it to the San Diego area and tour some breweries.

is that because you are sad at the rc selection or sad at my lack of ipa appreciation lol?  Jane

We have very good friends in San Clemente and I will have to mention these.   A peanut butter stout sounds absolutely amazing!   Jane

Final Takeaways: 
Dress Code: I sweat this WAY too much. People were wearing swimsuits in Windjammer (I think as long as men wear shirts and women cover their bottoms it was allowed), shorts and polo shirts in MDR, and on formal night it looked like at least 1/3 of the MDR skipped it altogether. For formal night I was going to bring a fancy dress that I wore to a few weddings this year, but it wrinkles easily and I didn't want to fret about getting it pressed. Instead, I brought my trusty little black dress which is actually from Eastern Mountain Sports and is made of yoga pant material. Accessorized with a large scarf and bangin' shoes, it fit right in. The maxidresses I left home because I thought they would be seen as sloppy were just right for all of the other events.  As far as swimsuits go, I wore a 2-piece tankini and a strappy-cute one-piece and STILL felt like Hester Prynne at times. 
Room: A large Ocean View cabin is completely fine for 2 people. I didn't even open up the package of magnetic hooks - everything we brought fit in the closet and drawers without a problem. My only quibble was with the shower, because no matter how I tried I ended up wetting the floor. I didn't use the drybags for our phones because at Coco Cay our chairs were right near the waterline. We also had the concierge nearby so I never felt unsafe leaving my stuff there. 
Food and Drink: The drink package would have been a waste of money for me. Even with a mimosa, glass of wine, and drink of the day specials, I was under the daily amount, and with the new rules in place that make both roommates buy the drink package it would have been a HUGE waste. My favorite specialty drink: Coco Loco. Least favorite: Royal Lemonade. The food in Windjammer and MDR was fantastic and I don't feel like I missed out on anything by skipping Chops.
The cane: Everyone was very accommodating to Mom, pulling us to the front of lines, letting us take elevators for muster and immigration lines, etc. When elevators were crowded, our fellow passengers were kind enough to wait and let her on first. (I kept taking the stairs to work off the drinks and breads.) The kindness wasn't exclusive to RCI -- TSA agents, airport employees, immigration & customs agents all went out of their way to make her trip easier and I am ever thankful. 
Enchantment of the Seas: What a great ship! I think it was just the right size for us, and frankly the pictures I've seen of the larger ships are intimidating! Yes, she's showing a little wear, but no worse than any hotel would after a few years. Our dresser drawers were stiff, and the public restrooms have seen better days. We are definitely going to take another RCI cruise, but I don't know when it'll fit into my schedule. I already have a non-cruise vacation with my husband planned for next October, and I really need to visit my father (in FL, not a hardship) after the new year.
Familial status: Thanks to this cruise, I think I'm solidly the favorite child until my sister-in-law brings Mom's second grandchild into the world next year. It's good to be Queen!

(Mom and me. I'm on the left.)
And one more time: Thank you for the encouragement and kind words. They will buoy me through this bout of post-cruise, mimosa-free depression. 

I laughed,  I cried!   I think we need to chip in to send you on anther cruise.   You managed to find all the humor and fun of the cruise... and to be able to ignore the bad!   Start planning your next one...it gets you through that first week when you actually have to make your own meals lol.  Jane

@mom2mybugs, you and I are pretty much alike in our beer tastes. For me, drinking an IPA is like drinking a glass full of leaves. I much prefer the coffee and malt flavors of a rich stout or the sweetness of a good porter. Even better than those brews, I've found, are dubbels and tripels. A good tripel for with my burger, followed by a chocolate porter for dessert, and I'm in heaven!
I was just at a craft beer fest here in NJ and found no less than 6 new brews I never knew existed and absolutely loved. Hopefully at least a few of them will show up at my local craft beer store in bottles.

I'm echoing this.   I wouldn't spend the money on an excursion when this is a phenomenal walking tour.  There is beautiful architecture,  churches,  restaurants,  ships and bars etc all within walking distance of the ship.   I just couldn't take enough pictures of all the amazing buildings.  It truly is one of my favorite ports and one of the cheapest!   Can't wait to go back!  Jane

We plan on being with her 24/7 too, she is looking forward to ziplining across the ship, and going on the slides. She is 72, and still loves to have fun.

The local governments are in control of the reopening date.  They are asking for the cruise ships to return. Cruise line officials are ensuring they can fulfill that request in a safe manner.    Cruise ships in particular are a form of tourism that places less demand on resources compared to fly and stay tourism.  Cruises arrive in the morning and leave later the same day unlike fly and stay tourists who stay overnight when crime can be higher and who place greater demand on resources such as food, water, policing and potentially medical.  Crime can be higher in part because there is no money coming in and people are growing desperate in a large part because they have no income.  
Local governments want to reintroduce tourism to bring income but also to bring a sense of normalcy back, which itself helps to reduce crime and stabilize the region. Cruise ships are the ideal answer for how to a slowly reintroduce tourism.  
 This isn't the first hurricane to have this effect, many islands have gone through this before.   When I cruised to St Marteen  in the late '90s it was soon after that islands last such hurricane hit with similar devastation.  
EDIT - in another forum I participate in a similar thread is evolving.  A resident of St Thomas is posting and they want tourists back.  They are not sure how they are going to pay the rent this month and while they are not fully restored (no power at home yet), they are eagerly waiting to welcome us with open arms.  They need the money.  So for anyone that does go to a recently opened island, be generous, tip well.  An extra $5 or $10 is nothing relative to the cost of a cruise.

We are always looking for people to join our team of dedicated testers.  . It won't be easy, hour upon hour of field work toughing it out in the sun as you order drink after drink at the bar.... I'm not sure everyone has what it takes 

100% certain - booked it on Thursday. :)  

Again, thank you for the kind response! Mom and I are having a superb time and note-taking has taken a backseat. But now the bags are packed and outside (sob!) so I have a little time to flesh out the notes.
Day 3: I woke up on my own at 7:10 which is me still waking up for work, but VERY late for work. We go up to breakfast as usual - I have a pancake, bacon, fruit, and a chocolate covered banana. Mom gets potatoes, bacon, fruit, and a gluten free roll. We have coffee and mimosas because WHY NOT?  Chef Toni was in the Windjammer too! He may have just had fruit, which is good because he's a sea guy and we don't want him to get scurvy. (Oh, the things I remember from grade school...)
We had our second cup of coffee out on deck 9 and watched our approach to Coco Cay. I'm stupidly excited for this day, because I love the beach. At 9:30 we decided to get moving. From our room on deck 3 we could see the tenders glide back and forth outside, as well as the supplies being loaded onto another craft. I teased mom that the shipping list for that boat was "20 Limbo sticks, 15 volleyballs, 30 hula hoops, and one gluten free roll."  
We boarded the tender which looked remarkably unsafe but we rolled with it. We're seated on the top level and the breeze and view can't be beat. 
We didn't bring any of our gigantic water haul with us to Coco Cay because the message hammered home was DO NOT BRING ANYTHING OFF OF THE BOAT WITH YOU. On the tender there we saw people with coffee cups and bottles of water. Remember the old cartoons where the main character slowly turned into a lollipop with a "SUCKER" label on it? Me. 
We landed at the docks and man, it took my breath away. I know this is a completely manufactured environment but it rang all of my bells for "perfect island beach!" All of the buildings are brightly colored and clearly named. The dock construction was going on, but the noise was easily ignored. We had the Coco Cay photos taken because we are cruise noobs. I rented the 2 loungers/sunshade back when we booked the cruise. South Beach is a LONG way away and we were thankful for the tram that took us there. There were three rows of chairs/sunshades there and once you turn in voucher to the employee, they are first come, first served. We ended up in the second row, which is what we get for being lazy. We also got fancy VIP bracelets.
Immediately we waded into the water. It was warm yet refreshing and what's better, I could see my feet! Don't get me wrong -- I love my home state of NJ and I grew up at those beaches but the surf is rough and constantly kicking up sand so you can't see the bottom. Walking into the Atlantic from the Jersey shore is akin to a trust fall. On Coco Cay, not only could I see my feet but there were teeny fish darting around! The water was shallow and although I walked pretty far, it never came up above my knees. Is this a result of Hurricane Irma? 
We settled into our chairs, toasty and thankful. And then ... the people in front of us left! After getting the OK from the attendant, we moved into the front row, and we were even more thankful. As I said, I grew up going to the Jersey shore. Which can be very crowded, especially in the shore towns with boardwalks. There were no distractions at South Beach -- no amusements behind you, no airplanes towing banners, no Jersey shore scents like pizza or Drakkar Noir.  It was beautiful and everything I needed it to be. 
Lunch is served from 11:30-1:30. I was expecting hot dogs and hamburgers. I was not expecting gyros, curry, ribs, and a roast suckling pig, severed head prominiently displayed on the carving board. I have the heart of a vegetarian but the appetite of someone who makes steak/moo jokes. Mom went to the grill, gave her room number and recived a gluten free roll for her buger. This place is seriously approaching Santa Claus level of service. She had a burger, fries, and fruit. I had a hot dog (classy broad), macaroni and cheese, fruit, lemon cake. We shared a picnic table from a family from Minnesota. I'm one of those people who will write on the internet all day long but who is awkward around new people in real life. But everyone here is so nice that even I'm finding it easy. (Mom can make friends with anyone but apparently not Mario.)
After lunch we poked around the straw market, took some of our own photos, and then found 2 empty beach chairs under an umbrella. Plop. At 3 we reluctantly took the vaguely unsafe looking tender back to the ship.
Wildlife seen on Coco Cay without even trying because who has time for a nature walk when there is tanning to do?:
> small fish
> large fish
> tiny crabs
> chickens (live)
> iguanas
> sea gulls
> pig (head of, deceased, roasted)
We dumped off things in our room and went to Windjammer for coffee. Annnnnnnnnnnd ended up with a plate of nachos with queso. I'm going to be wearing tents to work next week.  We hoovered down the nachos and took our coffees out to the pool deck. We watched the belly flop competition which was a lot of fun.
Time for an important decision: today's bingo was going to be a 3-game session, and they were giving away a free cruise. However, the entry price for the regular one-game session was $33 so I was figuring that the price for that big session would be around $100. $100 for a huge chance to lose. And the deck was so nice and we wanted to watch as we sailed away from Coco Cay. And thus, the bingo addiction was broken. I saw our photos from formal night and I kid you not, the one of of me alone on the stairs is one of the best photos I've taken. We're not going to spend the $199 for the package, so we have some hard decisions to make.
We showered all of the beach funk off before dinner. I have given up trying to keep the water within the boundary of the shower, and just wipe the bathroom floor down when I'm done. The shower curtain has boundary issues and likely works for a notable Hollywood producer because it touches me without consent.
Our tablemates from night 1 were back and we had a great time chatting about our various excurisons. Ajay was phenomenal again (any WWE fans out there? just me? ok.)  I had a caprese salad, garlic tiger shrimp, and key lime pie. I've had a glass of Wolf Blass Merlot each night, too. Mom had a salad, tiger shrimp (prepared without gluten) and they made her a sugar free, gluten free chocolate mousse for dessert. 
The boat started rocking during dinner. Not enough to make us sick, but it was the first time I felt it the whole trip. It would continue to rock throughout the night, stopping right before morning.
I cashed in my chips from Monday night at Casino Royale's craps table at a $25-0 exchange rate. Boo, hiss. Gambling is horrible. Don't be like me. On a whim we went to the karaoke event in the Spotlight lounge. I watched 15 super-courageous people bring the house down. We were going to go to bed then but ... there was a 70s party about to bust out in the Centrum. It was quite fun and was well received. But ... I'm 45 and these were songs from when I was a kid. I have to wonder if they could maybe do a 70s night and then an 80s/90s night to try and shake off the "cruising is for old people" myth. 
But then I went to bed right after that so maybe I'm old too! ;)
Day 3: A+++
 

I am so enjoying your happiness on this cruise!   It reminds me how much I love cruising and how not to sweat any little stuff.   I wasn't able to tender at coco cay so I can't wait to hear all about it.   Jane

This was so interesting to read.   It's not likely to be an itinerary that I will take so I loved reading all about it!  Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your incredible cruise!   Jane

Thank you all for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying it. We are having a blast. 
Day 2: I woke up with a start at 6:30am because I was going to be late for work, which of course I was not. I peeked out the window and saw tiny glimmering lights in the distance. "Self," I said. "It's time to go see the sunrise." With Mom as my willing accomplice, we put on some appropriate duds and headed up to deck 9. There were clouds on the horizon so we didn't get the full effect, but it was lovely nonetheless. As we approached Nassau, I saw a castle up ahead that turned out to be the Atlantis resort.  Well, since we were awake, may as well have breakfast. And that's how we ended up in the Windjammer at 7:15am. I had eggs, bacon, a grilled tomato (good!), and a chocolate covered banana. Mom hit up the gluten free area and ended up with eggs, potatoes, and fruit. We had mimosas because WHY NOT??
We had no excursions planned because I wanted us to take it easy. But how could we skip the opportunity to set foot in Nassau? After breakfast we left the ship (had the gangway photo taken because we are cruise noobs) and headed to shop. We are tourists so we stuck to the touristy area. I won't lie, being loudly solicited for hair braiding and taxis as soon as we left the pier was a bit of culture shock, but whatever. Everyone was nice, just loud. We shopped on Bay Street. I picked up some gifts for coworkers (spoiler: magnets), Mom bought some gifts for friends (spoiler: more magnets), and something for my nephew (not magnets. He's 3 1/2.) at Del Sol. I bought color changing nail polish that is a gorgeous pink in sunlight and a jaundiced yellow when I'm not in sunlight. I spend my days in a cubicle, so in retrospect that was not the best choice.
We were back on the ship in time for lunch at the Windjammer, which was very empty today. Mom had a bunless hamburger, some fries and fruit. I had Caribbean curry chicken with coconut and cranberries, some mashed potatoes, a dollop of penne alfredo, a giant piece of sourdough bread, a slice of peach pie and a plop of bread pudding. As you can tell, I've taken to the concept of a cruise buffet like a duck to water.
Speaking of water.... Mom told me to order bottled water for the room. I idly picked the 12-pack of 1-liter bottles but I'm an idiot who has no idea how much a liter actually is. We have a LOT of water here for just two people. Caveat emptor when buying water.
Next up: POOL TIME. I suited up and headed to deck 9 while Mom chilled in the cabin for a bit. It was ridiculously hot, and even the drink of the day (Portside Punch) failed to cool me off. The movie playing was the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast, which I have serious and angry feelings about. Mom came up to join me and we (along with 2 liters of water) moved to the Solarium which was quite a piece of paradise. 
Back to the room to shower. (I read someone on these boards who said there is no soap in the cabins. We have bar soap and some sort of squirty soap in the shower.) Tonight is formal night. Dinner is at 6 and skipping bingo is not an option, so we suited up in our LBDs and were the most fancy-pants ladies at the 5pm bingo session. Those who brought receipts from the previous day's bingo session received even more cards and I really have a problem. I won another free tablet full of cards before the game began and I got down to waiting for one number and ... STILL LOST. Bah.
Formal night dress code: Don't sweat it. Some people were in super fancy duds, some people were in nice-casual duds like us, and some people were in MDR in shorts and tees. I wore a black dress, silver heels, and a black and white Kate Spade scarf as a pashmina. I concluded that I spent far too much time worrying about how to dress.
Off to MDR for dinner. Our friends from last night had a sunset cruise excursion, and the other ladies never returned so Mom and I had the table to ourselves. Mom had another amazing gluten-free night: shrimp cocktail, chicken breast au jus, and coconut rice pudding.  I had a chilled banana rum soup as an appetizer. You could have just put a fancy umbrella and a straw in it and handed it to me as I sunned on the deck today. For dinner I had pan-fried corvina (a white fish I never heard of before) and dessert was a chocolate mousse-like bar. Our server is Ajay and he is the best.
Mom: "I don't know how I'm going to go back to tossing chicken tenders in the oven."
Me: "I think I'm buzzed from this soup."
After dinner (and numerous formal night photos because we are cruise noobs) we settled into the R bar for the captain's reception. I spied that Super Mario guy at a "reserved" table and because of Michael Poole's live blog from this past weekend, I knew who he was. I enjoyed the reception, especially that each officer had their own walk-on music like baseball players. Mario was called up and given a bottle of wine because he has 7009 nights logged on Royal Caribbean ships. This is Mario's last time on the Enchantment -- he's moving to the Freedom. I tried to get Mom to hook up with him to see if we could glom some points from him (or at the very least that bottle of wine), but she was not willing to take one for the team. Whatever, Mom. I drowned my sorrow in a Captain's special peach champagne drink because the soup buzz was wearing off.
Music this evening was from Mood Icons, a 3-man cover band with a repertoire of American sing-along songs. Friends in Low Places! Margaritaville! Wonderful Tonight! Sweet Little Sixteen!
We asked Guest Services about the food at Coco Cay tomorrow and was sent back to talk to the head waiter at MDR. He's going to make sure Mom has a gluten-free bun at the lunch area. Everyone is so nice and accomodating. We hit the stores on deck 6 and I bought a non-magnet gift for my nephew. There's a Roxy sundress I'm lusting over but it's $64.50 and ... nah. I'll by myself something to wear in Key West.
After going from deck 3 to 4 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 6 again, my feet were howling. Back down to 3 to change shoes, and then we called it a night shortly after. We are docked in Nassau until midnight so I won't get to see us leave. That's a bummer. I don't know why we're here so long - we are the last cruise ship in port. There was a snail towel sculpture waiting for us in the room. I like it here. :)
Day 2: A++

Ok loving your blog!   And loving that  you are loving your cruise!   Hope Tuesday was as awesome as Monday!  Jane